1. Technical Field
Improved reusable closure systems for bottle-type containers are disclosed. By way of an example, an improved reusable closure system for bottles, such as wine bottles, is disclosed. Methods for manufacturing reusable closure systems are also disclosed.
2. Background of the Related Art
Numerous techniques have been used to seal bottles of wine and other beverages. The traditional method involves the use of natural cork that is processed from the bark of cork oak trees. However, there are several negative aspects which are inherent in the use of natural cork as a closure system.
For example, cork is capable of adversely affecting the taste of the bottled wine because of a chemical compound found naturally in cork, 2, 4, 6-trichloranisole or TCA. TCA affects the odor and flavor of the wine and can account for a substantial percentage of spoilage of all wine bottled with natural corks.
Another problem associated with natural cork is consistency and quality. Specifically, natural cork is susceptible to insect damage, cracks and other naturally occurring defects which can allow oxygen to leak into the bottle or allow the wine to leak from the bottle. Again, these naturally occurring defects in natural cork also account for a substantial percentage of spoilage of bottled wine.
Cork is also a limited natural resource. Natural cork bark is harvested from cork oak trees which are only able to replenish themselves on the order of once every ten years. The slow growth of natural cork bark in combination with the fact that a newly planted cork oak tree requires 30 years to mature, leaves the natural cork industry with a limited ability to increase productivity to meet the demand of the wine industry. As a result, cork is relatively expensive.
Further, consumers are often frustrated by wine corks as they require a special tool in the form of a cork screw to remove the cork from the bottle and inexperienced users often break off pieces of the cork where they are later found floating in the wine bottle or in a wine glass. Finally, corks are only effective in resealing the wine bottle to a limited extent as they can often break upon subsequent removals.
As an alternative to natural corks, synthetic corks have been developed which are typically molded or extruded polymers. However, synthetic or plastic corks have not been accepted by many wine makers because extended shelf-life studies have shown the plastic corks tend to strip flavors from the wine product. Further, many synthetic corks also require the use of a cork screw and can be difficult for some consumers to remove. Synthetic corks also tend to be difficult to reinsert into the bottle for resealing, thereby frustrating the consumer.
Bulb-top corks have been developed to be removed and re-inserted from wine bottles without a special tool, such as cork screw. However, bulb-top corks can develop problems in storage, shipping and distribution due to the reduced interference between the cork and the bottle neck inside diameter. As the product warms and internal pressure within the bottle increases, the stoppers can be pushed from the bottle. As the product cools, air can leak back into the head space causing the wine product to oxidize.
Aluminum caps have not found wide acceptance in the wine industry or with wine consumers. Aluminum caps, which are applied using a roll-on technique, can also encounter problems in storage and transportation. Specifically, as the capped bottles are stacked and subsequently unstacked, a load is applied and then removed from the cap and liner. It has been found that the cap liner takes time to recover and the seal between the liner and the glass rim can be lost. As a result, the cap becomes loose, oxygen leaks into the bottle thereby causing oxidization of the wine. It has also been found that roll-on aluminum caps can loosen during shipment and handling.
As a result, there is a need for an improved closure system for wine and other delicate liquids that solve some or all of the problems discussed above.
In satisfaction of the aforenoted needs, an improved reusable closure system for containers is provided which is applicable to wine bottles and other containers as well. The reusable closure system is designed for a container having a neck with a rim defining a bore. The container also has a finish ring disposed on an outer surface of the neck and below the rim. The closure system comprises a compression disk connected to a plug. The compression disk comprises a first surface and a second surface. The compression disk and plug are coaxial with the plug extending outward from the second surface of the compression disk. The system further comprises a removable compression ring that comprises a generally cylindrical body comprising an upper end connected to a radially inwardly extending upper lip and a lower end connected to a radially inwardly extending lower lip. In an initially sealed and packaged condition, the first surface of the compression disk overlies the rim of the container, the upper lip of the compression ring engages the second surface of the compression disk and the lower lip of the compression ring engages the finish ring disposed on the neck of the container thereby pressing the first surface of the compression disk towards the rim of the container. To open the closure system, the removable compression ring is removed and, to reseal the container, the plug is inverted and inserted through the opening of the container to frictionally engage the bore and seal the container.
In an embodiment, in the initially sealed and packaged condition, the plug extends through an opening defined by the upper lip of the compression ring.
In an embodiment, the removable compression ring further comprises at least one perforation extending from the upper lip to the lower lip. In a preferred embodiment, the removable compression ring further comprises two spaced apart perforations extending from the upper lip to the lower lip with a pull tab disposed therebetween for easy removal of the compression ring.
In an embodiment, the closure system further comprises a gasket disposed between the first surface of the disk and the rim of the container in the initially sealed and packaged condition.
In an embodiment, the closure system further comprises an oxygen barrier layer that overlies the rim of the container and which is sandwiched between the first surface of the disk and the rim of the container in the initially sealed and packaged condition. Preferably, the oxygen barrier layer is fabricated from aluminum.
In an embodiment, the closure system comprises both an oxygen barrier layer and a gasket. The oxygen barrier layer may be attached to the first surface of the disk and the gasket may be attached to the oxygen barrier layer so that the oxygen barrier layer is sandwiched between the first surface of the disk and the gasket when the container is initially sealed. The gasket then would engage the rim of the container in the initially sealed and packaged condition.
The cap may be fabricated from an injection molded foam polymer. The cap may further comprise oxygen scavenging materials. The compression ring may be fabricated from aluminum or other like materials.
The closure system may be fabricated by rolling the compression ring around the compression disk. Preferably, the compression ring includes an upper lip that surrounds the plug but allows the plug to extend through an opening defined by an upper lip of the compression ring. If an oxygen barrier layer and gasket are provided, these two elements may be pre-attached to the first surface of the compression disk prior to application of the compression ring thereto. Then, with the first surface of the compression disk or with the gasket facing downward, the entire structure is pressed downward over the rim and finish ring of a bottle. To secure the compression ring around the finish ring of the bottle, a modified pressure block is utilized.
As noted above, the closure system is particularly suitable for bottles of wine, but will also be applicable to other liquid containing containers as well.